At the 10th annual Our Ocean Conference (OOC) in Busan, South Korea from April 28–30, leaders from over 100 countries gathered to advance global ocean conservation. The result was pledges adding up to around $21 billion (US$14 billion) in marine initiatives. 

This year brought 277 new pledges aimed at addressing key marine issues, including reducing ocean pollution, expanding marine protected areas (MPAs), supporting sustainable fisheries and growing the blue economy. Among the standout commitments was a $13.5 billion (US$9 billion) investment in the blue economy, with countries like South Korea and Panama leading the way. 

Although the United States was absent for the first time since the conference began in 2014, other nations stepped up with record-breaking commitments to protect our oceans – a powerful reminder that global leadership can thrive when nations come together, even in the absence of major powers.  

Following the 2024 OOC in Athens, several key commitments have already transitioned into meaningful progress in marine conservation. That year, Greece announced the establishment of two major marine parks in the Aegean and Ionian Seas to strengthen marine biodiversity protection. The country also became the first in Europe to ban bottom trawling across all national marine parks and protected areas. 

Despite the encouraging progress and pledges so far, experts emphasise that efforts must accelerate even further as the current goal of protect 30 percent of the world’s oceans by 2030 cannot be achieved through current measures. Just 8.3 percent of all oceans globally are currently under protection.  

The next OOC is scheduled to take place in Mombasa, Kenya, in 2026 and attendees expressed hope that it will build on this year’s pledges and drive stronger implementation across the board. 

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